Cannes is calling—and no, it’s not for film nerds and red carpet reruns anymore. The 2025 Cannes Film Festival is much more than celebrating film; it’s where Hollywood, haute couture, and super private elite move go hand in hand in the sun!

Of course, we may see the high-profile premieres or the viral red carpet standing ovations, but behind the velvet ropes is where the real vibe (and drama) happens. Exclusive yacht parties. Intimate private dinners. After-dark villa hangouts, the kind of invite-only nonsense even your favourite A-lister may have ghosted.

So, who gets these inner circles this year? We may never know. But based on trends, industry speculation, and some pop culture sleuthing, here’s our unfiltered, kind-of psychic guide to the unofficial 2025 Cannes guestlist— aka the people that you are going to see blowing up your social media feed.

The Oscar Darlings Who’ve Got Cannes on Their Horizon

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Cannes loves prestige, and the 2025 award circuit has already handed us some A-list talent that is all but guaranteed to be sipping rosé on the Croisette. (That sounded terrible, but it’s true and you know it.)

• Zendaya: After that space opera-meets-love story she conquered this past award season (and let’s be honest, everything she wears turns into a Pinterest board), she’s pretty much a lock. I would anticipate her as a co-host at a luxury brand dinner, in at least one moody indie, and a Chanel moment that crashes the internet.
• Barry Keoghan: Cannes is here for a chaotic male lead whose whole face is an ocean of emotion while wearing a wardrobe of Saint Laurent. Barry’s career has reached its apex, and there are rumors he’ll appear in a French-American drama that will likely premiere this year. We’ll keep an eye on that.
• Ayo Edebiri: She’s not just a Gen Z darling, she’s a critic darling. Ayo just landed a new role in a highly buzzed-about political satire, and the way her star continues on the rise, she could show up on the Croisette as the voice of a new, funnier Hollywood.

The Directors Everyone Wants to Clink Glasses With

Cannes wouldn’t be Cannes without the auteurs—and this year, we’re wagering a few major names will drop fiery projects that inadvertently spark TikTok think pieces.

• Greta Gerwig: Following her Barbie-pink 2023 takeover, she has reportedly been working on something European, literary, and very festival-core. When she’s in Cannes, so is everyone else, literally.
• Luca Guadagnino: Let’s be real—Cannes is his playground. From a sensual art film set in Sicily to a brooding thriller in the Alps, if he has a film this year, it’s premiering here with half of Hollywood in the fold.
• Céline Sciamma: Cannes royalty. Quiet, cerebral, and infinitely influential. You likely won’t catch her on a yacht, but you will experience the resonance of her work through every Q&A panel that matters.

In-Creator and Influencers (Including Banquets off yachts and horrible yacht puns)

Cannes 2025 will be about virality as much as it is about film. And the luxury brands sponsoring this year? Creating space for creators.

• Emma Chamberlain: Whether she’s doing GRWM vlogs or sitting front row at Dior, Emma feels inevitable for Cannes. She is the de facto luxury storyteller for Gen Z, and with her new fragrance line, she’s becoming more of a mogul than an influencer.
• Wisdom Kaye: The best-dressed man on TikTok? Don’t be shocked if he’s affiliated with Balmain or archiving Jean Paul Gaultier work. His long-overdue Cannes debut? Finally.
• Léna Situations: France’s favourite fashion influencer has walked by the Cannes red carpet – will she finally be walking on it? And her podcast has Cannes guests? We’re already doing the math.

Power Players Behind the Curtain

Never forget about the players behind the players who often slip by unnoticed.

• Salma Hayek Pinault: An actress, a fashion influencer, an adventuress, and married to the Kering CEO (Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, yeah, that Kering). This one is always around and typically running a mega-exclusive brand dinner at a villa you can’t even find on Google Maps.
• Rihanna: Okay, let me say first that there is no actual announcement or anything to put in writing, but with the speculation around the relaunch of her fashion house and the docuseries she has been working on for some time is in post-production, I wouldn’t be too surprised if RiRI shows up for a Fenty x Film moment. Manifesting it as we speak.
• Tim Cook: Yes, that Tim Cook, Apple CEO. Why? Because Apple TV+ is a crushing awards season, and Cannes is leaning more towards streaming. If I’m Cook, I’m thinking strategy meetings, low-key power dinners, and maybe even a sleek Apple villa event.

The After-After Party Crowd: Who Cannes Without Cannes-ing

Cannes is also prime soft-launch territory. Some celebs come and go with no movie, no press tour — they just want to vibe, network, and discreetly stunt.

• Jacob Elordi: No confirmed film? No problem. He’s a favorite of fashion houses, a source of memes, and he’s got at least three secret parties to attend. You can expect dark-environment selfies, maybe a Cartier something, and one badly out-of-focus tabloid yacht photo with a mystery brown-haired girl.
• Hunter Schafer: A queen of high fashion, a constant collaborator with Miu Miu, and maybe an unexpected cameo in some hot French horror movie. She is the Cannes aesthetic.
• Troye Sivan: Troye is the wild card that Cannes is meant to be. Between all the music, fashion collaborations, and acting credits, don’t be surprised if he DJs a Dior event at 2 am.

Final Thoughts: Cannes but Make It Mysterious

What is exciting about Cannes is not only who shows up, but how they choose to show up. Half the fun is finding your faves in bad yacht pics, reading vague IG stories from marble-floored houses, and anonymous DeuxMoi tips from the Toronto someone who “accidentally-was-there” at a Prada party.

Cannes 2025 isn’t just about the films, it’s about quietly flexing, loudly networking, and soft launching everything from relationships to empire brand launches.

So, regardless of whether you’re watching online from your FYP or you’re live-tweeting from your rented Airbnb in Nice, throw on your best linen set, pour yourself a glass of overpriced sparkling water, and keep those notifications on.

Because you know someone is going to show up and break the internet.